Robert kerb



R. KERR. SHOW BoxPoR sPooLs.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PAT/ENT Ormes.

ROBERT KEER, OF PAISLEY, COUNTY OF RENFREW, SCOTLAND.

s'How-Box FOR sPooLs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,024, dated February 21, 1882. Application filed October 29, 1881. (No model.) Patented in England April 6, 188i.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, ROBERT KEER, of Paisley, in the county of Renfrew, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in Cabinets for Spools and other Articles, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cabinets or cases for spools of thread, sewingslk, and analogous articles, in which a supply ot' difterent qualitiesl or kinds is retained and from which single. spools or articles can be taken out conveniently for sale. Such cabinets or cases are largely used by retail store-keepers.

My invention consists in a cabinet or case divided by partitions into cells or compartments extending to the bottom of the cabinet or case 3 a bar extending across the front thereof', near the bottom; a hinged door or doors for closing the front of the cabinet or case above said bar, and adapted to be opened to permit of filling the cabinet or case; and a sliding door or doors for closing the front of thecabnet or case below said bar, and affording provision for the withdrawal of the spools one by one, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed. This cabinet or case may be hung against the wall or stand in an upright position g or it may be supported in an inclined position on a counter, stand, or table, it being arranged in all cases so that as soon as the bottom spool in any cell or compartment is withdrawn the other spools in that row will descend by gravityso that the lower one will and one of the lower doors again rest upon the bottom of the cell or compartment.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represen ts a front elevation of the cabinet or case. Fig. 2 represents a similar view' with the upper door opened so as to expose the contents, opened so as to permit of the withdrawal of a spool. Fig. 3 representsv a vertical section of the cabinet or case; and Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section thereof, with the upper door through which the cabinet or case is lled open.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending. parts in all the figures.

A designatesthe body of the cabinet or case, which 1s composed of wood, and the exterior of which may be iinished and decorated in any tasteful manner. shown as provided at the upper end with eyes a, whereby it may be suspended against the wall, where it will not be in the way; but it might be constructed so as to stand upon a counter or table, or so as to rest in an inclined position on a stand, table, or counter. The case A is divided at suitable distances apart by vertical or upright partitions b, t'orinin g separate cells or compartments B, which are wide enough to receive the spools C, and which extend to the bottom of the cabinet or ease. The cabinet or case A has a bar or rail, D, extending acro'ss its front, and the portion of its front above said bar or rail is formed by a hinged door, E, which is held closed by a hook, c, or other suitable device, and which, when opened, affords facility for tlling the several cells or compartments with spools. The several cells or compartments are intended to receive spools of thread or silk ot'difterent qualities, kinds, or degrees of neness, and the numbers of the thread or silk may be indicated by figures placed at d on the bar or rail D opposite each cell or compartment, the latter then forming an indicator bar vor rail. The spools which are placed in the cabinet or case will ot course move downward by gravity when the cabinet or case is in an upright or inclined position, and the lower spools will rest on the bottom of the cabinet or case, and when the lower spool in any row is removed the ones above it will move downward. y

Below the bar D are doors F, which are adapted to slide horizontally to expose the lower portion of' the several cells or compartments and permit the withdrawal ot" a spool from any one of them, and in. order that the lowermost spools shall be near the front of the cabinet or case, where they may be ,readily reached, I tix false backs ein such cells or compartments as are to receive spools of small di'- ameter, as seen in Fig. 4.

The doors F may be provided with knobs j', which may be grasped to open them.

The outer surface of the door E may have printed or otherwise delineated upon it an advertisement and trade-mark of the manufacturer whose goods it contains, and such an ad- This cabinet or case is here vertisement, if displayed inattractive manner, may enhance the appearance of' the cabinet or case.

In lieu of the large door E, two doors may be used.

Although I have only represented my cabinet or case as employed for spools, it is useful for holding rolls of tape or ribbon and similar small articles.

I do not claim :l spool cabinet or case divided by vertical partitions into cells` or compartments which are closed at the bottom by aslide, in combination with adrawer fitting in the cabinet or casebelow the cells or compartments, and adapted to move the slide to allow theA spools to drop into the drawer, and to move it to prevent the spools from dropping down behind the drawer when the latter is drawn out, such a cabinet or easehavingnlready been made.

What I claim as my invention, and .desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The cabinet or case A, divided by partitions into cells or compartments B, extending'to the bottom thereof, the indicator bar or railD, extending across the front of the cabinet or case, near the bottom thereof, the hinged door or doors E for closing the front above said bar or rail, and which may be opened to fill the cabinet or case, and the sliding door or doors 'F for closing the front below seid bar or rail, and which may be opened to withdraw the spools one by one, substantially as herein described.

FREDK. HAYNES, EDWARD GLATZMA YER. 

